Homeowners: Do an Easy Roof Inspection Before the Next Heatwave

Homeowners who do a simple roof inspection before our August and September heat waves will get a better idea if and when you need to install a new roof.

Why choose Garvey Roofing as your local roofing contractor?

Because Thomas Garvey studies building science and installs and repairs roofs for all seasons. Plus, all roofing estimates are free.

Scroll to the end of this post for a total peace-of-mind guarantee.

San Gabriel Valley’s heat, winds and occasional downpours have a way of degrading roofs.

San Gabriel Valley weather and your roof

Our weather’s usually quite nice, isn’t it?

Hot days that cool off at night and moderate temperatures and rainfall in the winter are one of the reasons we love the eastern portion of Los Angeles County.

Heat barrier

Your roof is your home’s first defense against heat seeping into your house during the summer and heat slipping out of your house during the winter.

While we typically don’t have the extreme highs of desert cities or the extreme lows of mountain or northern cities, it’s important to keep your roof healthy throughout the year.

Glance at your roof to make sure shingles are laying properly and you don’t see waves or the white of fiberglass being exposed.

Question: do you know how old your roof is?

The decking and underlayment are parts of the roof you don’t see and yet they might not be repelling heat like they should.

Older roofs have a lower grade underlayment and you might not even have decking.

During the Eaton Fire that hit Altadena and after the 80 mile per hour winds, I checked my home near the Altadena Golf Course and saw a small hole opening to the attic.

I wondered, “Shouldn’t I be seeing the plywood decking?”

I looked in the attic and saw that our underlayment and shingles were laid over slats with a half-inch gap and there wasn’t any plywood decking underneath.

Surprise.

Plywood is a barrier against heat in addition to newer underlayment like Therma Sheet. This reflects many of the UV rays that would otherwise penetrate your roof.

Inspect your roof

Eyeing your roof can catch minor problems before they become costly repairs.

Do your shingles look brittle and curled at the edges?

This is a sign that your roof is older and drying out. Winter rains can pour between the seams and our Santa Ana winds can blow the shingles loose.

Are you finding loose granules in your gutters or on the ground?

Granules protect against the sun, so you’re losing UV protection and that means the heat will degrade your roof.

Do you see dents in any metal flashing or do you see areas where flashing is missing?

If you have older turbines as attic ventilation, are they turning?

Consider replacing these with newer low profile vents.

Install a small attic fan to draw out hot air from your attic.

Garvey Roofing installed mine and the fan kicks on when attic temperatures reach 100 degrees.

Other ways to keep your roof and attic temperate

Install the right amount of attic insulation. Garvey Roofing provides blown-in insulation for the best coverage.

We use the best R-value for your attic insulation.

Thomas Garvey and his team will also install ductless air conditioners inside to reduce your electricity costs and prevent the need for a HVAC unit upgrade.